Between the Lines
by paper.white
Summary: AU With a past degree in failed relationships, the only degree Bella wants is her bachelor's. But with Edward, her best friend's charming, intelligent, and rather exasperating brother, she teeters between staying out and desperately wanting to stay in...
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: Characters property of Stephenie Meyer._

_A/N:_ This story just popped into my head one lonely night, and before I knew it, I was writing it down on my bedside notepad (have to buy a new notepad...). Anyway, to anyone who reads this, just tell me whether you like it or not!

This is AU, everyone's human, and characters may be OOC (just a warning!!). Happy reading. _

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Between the Lines: A Bella and Edward story 

_By Amour de Lis_

_**One**__: "That Coffee Place Over There"_

Men, coffee, and chocolate all had one thing in common: they were better off rich.

Of course, it wasn't necessarily in that order. In our case, the coffee was usually foremost at the Café-Moi (introducing the world to the dynamic duo of lattes and internet—a 21st century hallmark).

Me? I couldn't give a dime to the men issue, because honestly, I didn't particularly care if they were rich or not. My life has had few of them, and the only one that truly mattered was my dad, Charlie Swan. Through the divorce, he'd held strong. Coming apart at the seams? Sure, but time was good and kind enough not to let him fall apart completely and utterly. He was my rock when I nearly got swept away by the ocean at home—literally and figuratively. My mom was great, too, but let's face it: a tough mother-daughter bond can last hurricanes. It was practically a given.

Anyway, back to the saying relayed to us by our manager, Rosalie Hale. It was said _precisely_ in that order to us. We couldn't blame her, not really. Men were practically a given to a girl who was a) a beauty queen and b) filthy rich. The Café-Moi was—yep, you guessed it!—a chain of joints owned by her mother's family. Her father's half were bankers, lawyers, and businessmen. At the moment, Rosalie was dating my cousin, Emmett McCarty, who was, believe it or not, head over heels in love with her. _I _couldn't believe he'd actually allowed himself to get in so deep. _He_ couldn't believe _I_ haven't gotten drowned either, being the passive, emotional female I was…supposed to be.

And I am. Of course I am. That's _why_ I haven't dived yet.

"Sure, kiddo," I could picture him grinning at me and mussing my hair. "Sure."

I really did miss Emmett. He'd gone to Iraq last year and, recently, we'd been notified for his return on the following date: today. When Rosalie, Alice, and I went tearing through university campus practically screaming the news, people—being people—asked wh_y_ he was being sent back from Hell. _Why's he being sent back? What did he do? _

Why? We couldn't care _why_; we just knew that he was coming back!

But to answer the ridiculous question of 'why', the reason was that Emmett had torn a muscle in one leg and broken the other. Not pretty. But we still loved him. And we knew that Emmett, being Emmett, would want a chance to mingle with the crowd, to show off his grisly marks of glory, and to basically act as though nothing changed.

And to give him that chance, we decided to throw a party for him in the café. With catering. And new recruits to the "Café Camaraderie".

Ah, fresh recruits.

Gladly tearing away from pondering the thoughts of Emmett's party, I watched Alice patiently train a tall, gangly guy on creating the epitome of a chai tea. The other one, a rather short Asian dude, was busily swabbing the deck and furtively eying a regular by the name of Angela Weber. She was in a heated debate, from what I could hear, on the differences of Nature vs. Nurture. The girl she was conversing with was pointing, no, _jabbing_, at a textbook and speaking in fluid, rapid-fire French.

I squinted to read the new guy's name tag when he stopped mid-swab and leaned against his mop, listening in and unconsciously nodding to Angela's reasoning.

"Missed a spot, Ben?" I asked, looking pointedly at the mop and trying not to smile.

He jerked back into reality, grinned, reddened, and went back to work. I chuckled as I lowered by head to fit a cap onto a cappuccino; I knew he'd go back to ogling poor Angie the moment my back was turned.

"Five ninety-five, ma'am. Thank you, have a nice day," I added automatically as the woman nodded and, without lifting her head from her Sidekick, took her order. She bustled hastily out the door while I grabbed a nearby towel to wipe the counter.

"Coffee—black with cream, as you may already know, Miss Swan."

I glanced up and returned the smile Alice's boyfriend, Jasper, gave me. "Extra sugar and bubbling fresh?"

"You know it." He glanced over my head. "And beautiful."

"Naturally. Alice Brandon! You've been ordered!" There was a squeal and quick, last minute directions to the tall recruit. "In a minute," I told Jasper.

He nodded and gave me a beseeching look. "Does the actual order of coffee come with Alice?"

Alice herself bobbed forward, her inky, dark hair glossy in the lighting. Her face was alight with the happiness that always showed when Jasper was around. In a single movement, she'd somehow hung her apron around my neck while skipping to hug Jasper.

"Sure, if you take out your wallet and pay me." He mocked a grimace while I grinned back at him. "Ever heard of paying for your pleasures?"

"Bella, he does it every time I go to the mall," Alice pointed out with a smirk.

"It's painful." Jasper sighed. "It's a shame that I love her too much."

"Nothing's wrong with that," I said lightly, turning away to check on the coffee. I folded Alice's apron and placed it on the counter while waiting for the coffee to finish, allowing the two lovebirds to have a moment to themselves. Quiet, soft tones were all that was left of their voices and I suddenly felt out of place, the empty space in the corner of my heart beginning to make itself known, after all I did to forget about it. _I'm not ready for commitment yet, _I told myself stonily, reflexively blocking the images that ran through my mind at the thought.

With relief, I looked up to see Rosalie emerging from the storeroom. Speaking of intrusions…

"You! Yes, you, Mr. What's-your-name—"

"Anderson," the gangly guy informed her.

Rose waved her hand impatiently. "Whatever, does it look like I care? No, don't answer that, it was rhetorical. Don't you know what that word means? What _are_ you?"

Uh-oh. Ranting. Either she was stressed from how much we were earning, or hyped for Emmett's return. Jasper and Alice's murmurings stopped, and they began to watch the scene with new interest.

As did the other customers.

The unfortunate Anderson pulled at his tie and stammered, nearly spilling over the pitcher in his hand, "Well, Ms. Hale…"

"It's Rosalie." She began tying her apron and pulling her famed golden locks back into a ponytail.

"Right, um, as you know, when an X and Y chromosome come together, they produce what is known as the male gender and—"

"Freshman," she sniffed derisively. "I should have known. Only a freshman would give an answer like that."

I coughed from behind her.

"Oh, except you, Bella. And Alice. Anderson, watch that pitcher!" Anderson watched it. And good for him, too. One second longer staring at his manager would have sent him to the storeroom to count out how much we've stocked. Believe me, that job was pretty much on a par with Iraq.

With the coffee finished, I handed it off to Jasper, exchanging it with the bill he passed forward.

"Bella, when did the man on the phone say we could pick up Emmett?" Rosalie asked in hushed tones, coming to stand beside me. She gave Jasper and Alice a fleeting look. "And when are the caterers going to come?"

Jasper took the hint and bade farewell, making for the door. Alice pirouetted to follow, tossing me a wink and mouthing, _Can you deal?_ She nodded imperceptibly in Rosalie's direction. I gave her a half-smile as affirmation. My cousin's girlfriend wasn't that bad…if you didn't set off the alarm. In this case, the alarm was already set, but it was only drizzling. Anyone would be agitated for Emmett's return—it was all part of his charm.

"Only _she's_ taking agitated to a whole new level," Alice had said the night before. We were in our dorm room, recounting the good old times. "I swear she's worse than my mom!"

Now, Rosalie tapped her foot. "Bella, I've got a schedule."

"He said later in the afternoon," I assured her, as Alice waved before closing the door. I turned back to the cash register, counting what we'd made so far.

She checked her watch. "It's later, let's go!"

I stifled a sigh. "You _do_ have customers."

"So? That poor excuse for smooth management down the street can have them—my treat. Just as long as I get my Emmett." Her eyes softened and, for a moment, I was able to see the heart she kept so tightly fisted. But it was only for a moment. "Bella, he's your cousin, for God's sake. Don't you miss him?"

Releasing my sigh, I closed the cash register just as Alice came barreling through the doors looking positively frenzied.

It was the expression that scared me half to death and gave Jasper's wallet cramps and pains. It was the look she saved for the new Prada handbag.

The I-Found-A-Treasure look.

"Oh, my God!!!" she shrieked, hopping up and down and leaning against the front counter with her palms. Alice's hazel eyes were sparking green and gold. "They're _here_!!"

"The caterers?" Rosalie straightened her apron and put on the look she reserved for malingering customers.

Alice rolled her eyes. "_No._ I mea—" There was a gasp.

"Oh, my GOD, it's EMMETT!!!" Rosalie cried, vaulting over the counter.

I grabbed Alice's hands, not trusting myself to look. "He's alive? How did he get here?"

She somehow managed to drag me over the front counter, saying exasperatedly, "Don't ask stupid questions, Bella, just LOOK!"

I looked. Emmett strolled through the door in a wheelchair, a sight that caused a twinge in my heart, with Rosalie nearly strangling his neck. Someone was pushing the wheelchair, but I never registered who it was.

I flung myself at my cousin, hearing him groan, and then pulling back, hanging onto his hand and feeling like I'd downed several shots of vodka. Rosalie sobbed his name into his neck even as the whole café broke into bewildered applause.

"Emmett?" I breathed, barely daring to believe it.

He offered a lopsided grin and crushed my hand in his iron grip. Yep, this was my cousin.

"We were just walking down the road when, what do you know, Emmett comes strolling into town like a freaking prima donna in his wheelchair." Alice began to chatter excitedly from beside me. "So Jasper decided to go ahead and make the catering arrangements while I go here and spread the joy."

"You mean you haven't run out of it yet?" Emmett inquired teasingly. "What's up, Mary Alice?"

"Your ego."

"How's the leg?" I asked even as they laughed.

Emmett's eyes gleamed as he started to reach down. "Would you care to see for yourself?"

"NO," Rosalie interjected, hugging him tightly.

"I'll pass." He extended an arm and I gingerly hugged him as he crushed me against his chest. "We missed you."

"Same here, Bells."

"And how did _you_ find your way to Emmett?" Alice addressed someone.

"Well, surprise, surprise—I was conveniently volunteering at the clinic. And when we hit this street, Emmett told me to go to 'that coffee place over there'."

Emmett released me just as I looked up for the new voice.

I was always known for making mistakes, but usually they were limited to tripping. But now, I was sure that my eyes were deceiving me. Moreover, I was in a mild state of panic; I could feel the instant blood rush in my cheeks and I knew that they would be cherry red in an instant. I wondered if we were minutes from the apocalypse, causing bona fide models to suddenly take an interest in health care.

Shaking the thoughts from my head, I decided to thank him, model or no, for picking up Emmett. It saved us time, as well as the dreaded questionnaire that Rosalie would put forth for the doctor.

Alice hopped to introductions. "Hey, Bella, remember Edward Masen from junior high? Well, now he's my stepbrother."

I continued to stare. My best friend's newly introduced stepbrother returned the look with one of amusement. Nope, no memories of any Edwards or Masens crossed my mind. "Wait," I began slowly. "What?"

Out of my periphery, I saw Rosalie rise from where she knelt to take the wheelchair from Edward, rolling Emmett off. I was left standing with Alice, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet anxiously; and with her exceptionally good-looking supposed-stepbrother.

"Don't worry, I don't remember junior high very well, either," Edward reassured me, offering a hand and a crooked smile. "But nice to meet you."

"You, too." Dumbly, I extended my own right hand to watch it disappear within his. I glanced at Alice questioningly. She grinned soothingly and swiped a cup of tea from the tray that Anderson carried, firmly forcing my left hand to hold onto it.

"Here, Bella. Take this and we'll continue our talk about the good old times." And with that, she steered me to the nearest table.

Edward, his arm in the vise-like grip of his stepsister, followed.

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_A/N: _Remember, just tip me off, and I'll continue. But I thought this was a good place to stop for now.

Yours,

_Amour de Lis _

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	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not convinced? Go grab your nearest copy of Twilight, New Moon, or Eclipse.

_A/N: _Since some people _seem_ to show an interest in it, I'll continue :) Presenting...Chapter two!! As always, happy reading...

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_**Two: **Impressions_

"So, how's it like being the famous Mary Alice's stepbrother? A dream? A pain?" I asked Edward many teacups and drinks later.

Alice pinched my arm, but I chose to ignore her. Her arms and the upper half of her body were wrapped in blue streamers. Confetti was sprinkled over her hair. To me, and everybody else for that matter, she resembled a mummy mummified in the year 2008. She was also what was left of the partying—which was a success, by the way. A "successful mess" as Rosalie declared once the guests had left the café grounds.

Indeed. Now we were left to cleaning up spilled food, drinks, and other miscellaneous objects.

It wasn't so bad. It was actually pretty fun. Alice had caught Anderson furtively pocketing someone's wallet and cell phone (two of the many dropped objects), and delivered a beautiful, sound _thwack_ to the back of his head with her broom. Ben Cheney, the other new recruit, had made progress with Angela. They were now on the other side of the café, gazing into each other's eyes and conversing in low voices. Noticing them, Jasper had sworn this place was infested with aphrodisiac-inducing mold.

No one bothered to refute it.

"A little bit of both." Edward chuckled as his sister scowled. "At least I never walk out of the house badly dressed." He was right; walking out with clothes straight out of a JCrew catalogue was certainly not badly dressed.

Alice scoffed, squinting into her coke. "You never _were_ badly dressed in the first place, thank god."

"No, I suppose not."

"It's funny. How come I don't remember you at all from grade school?" I sat back, ignoring the way my heart skipped a beat when his green eyes met mine.

"Do you remember people in the grades ahead of you?"

I smiled sheepishly. "No." My mind cleared. "I never did associate with the older grades."

"Ha, Bella never associated with people _period_!" Alice waved her hands dramatically and proceeded to regale him with tales of misdeeds I'd forgotten. Or wished to forget. Meanwhile, I ran a finger around my glass, thinking about how Edward and Alice's parents came together.

It was surprisingly ordinary—no fireworks, no bells, no big, blaring neon sign indicating who you should be with. Also, it was, unbelievably, a coincidence. They just happened to have met on a local street deli and from there, as they say, it was history.

And I was happy for Mrs. Brandon; back when her parents were undergoing their rocky divorce, Alice would call me in the middle of the night to talk, joke around a little, discuss and debate. Sometimes she sobbed about how she'd find her mother sitting in the kitchen with a lost look on her face whenever the front door slammed shut, signaling Mr. Brandon's exit. "She loved him, Bella," she'd whisper, her voice muffled in the phone. "She really did _love_ my father." More often than not, I'd worried for Alice's ability to move on from that, if she'd be as open-hearted as she used to be.

I watched as Edward and Alice shared a laugh, feeling a smile lightly touch my lips.

My worrying was all for naught. My best friend was practically filled with sunshine.

"Anyone want any more drinks?" Alice asked, touching my arm as she hopped down from her barstool. Edward shook his head no. "Bella?"

I nodded as she ambled off. Jasper met her halfway, encircling her waist with his arms.

"So." Edward caught my eyes with his and leaned forward on the table. "Alone at last."

O) - O) - O)

_Edward POV_

I don't believe I've ever met anyone with eyes like Bella Swan.

Sure, there's the generic brown-eyed girl—common enough in this world. But Bella, for certain, wasn't generic. Call me insane and send for the cops, but in my gut, I knew it was true, even if my mind wasn't quite ready to accept something entirely irrational. Hell, rational was for work and medicine. This…well, I wasn't sure what _this_ meeting was, but it certainly didn't deal with getting my degree. At least, I didn't think so.

_No, don't_, I begged silently when Bella broke her gaze and instead looked down into her glass.

"Um, my cousin never told me you knew each other," she commented, glancing briefly up at me.

Didn't he? "Well, he probably didn't consider it very important. After all, how much help could I possibly be?" I turned my palms upward in supplication, earning myself a laugh.

"No help whatsoever."

"That hurts." I grinned anyway.

"You really want to know what _should_ hurt?"

All I knew was that I didn't want _her_ hurt. "What?"

"Alice in baseball." She looked up with a smile, and I noticed that she was far more relaxed now than before. "And you when you take her shopping."

"No, _not_ me," I countered. "That's Jasper you're talking about."

"No, that girl has a hit list." She smirked.

"Wish me luck, then?"

"Thanks, but I'll pass."

I laughed, leaning back against my seat and shaking my head. I could see why Alice chose Bella for her best friend. "What are you majoring in?" I asked, changing subject.

"English Lit. What about you?"

"Medicine, but I'm still thinking about what to specialize in."

"A doctor then?" She smiled. "When you get your license, give me your card—my family doctor is getting tired of me showing up so often."

I snorted back a laugh as she rolled her eyes. "I see."

"Do you really?" she asked dryly.

"Believe me, Bella"—beautiful name—"a girl like you would be a given danger magnet."

Her brow pleated slightly as she crossed her arms. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," I said nonchalantly.

"Uh-huh. And I'm not sitting here talking to a guy I barely know," she sniffed sarcastically. "Who, furthermore, _claims_ to be Alice's brother."

"Okay then, I won't claim to be anything." I smiled at her.

She stared for a second. "So…what are you?"

That was unexpected. I frowned slightly. "What are you talking about?"

"What. Are. You. Are you a ghost, a fish, a fairy—what are you?"

I sighed, pressing my fingers to my temples. "I'm annoyed," I muttered. "And have absolutely no clue what convoluted logic you're using." Nevertheless…it was mildly intriguing.

"Oh, you don't need to know."

"I'm not a fairy," I told her after a beat. She laughed, drawing my attention to the sound.

"No," she conceded, still chortling. "No, you aren't. A ghost?"

I rolled my eyes at her, suppressing a smile. "Please, Bella. Can't you come up with something original?"

"A vampire?" I could sense a theme going. Next, she'd suggest that I was an alien.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Her eyes widened as her hands came up to clutch her throat. I gave it up, a smile making its way slowly across my face. "I'll take that as a yes."

Bella dropped the act and gave me a cool stare. "And if I came at you with a gun and silver bullets—you'd take that as a yes, too, wouldn't you?"

I pretended to consider it, leaning back against my chair and looking up at the ceiling. "Well...yeah."

"Don't ever call me crazy."

She was mistaken; that title belonged to _me_. However, she could easily win the name of "Irrational".

"I won't." I paused, and offered a slight grin. "Are you sure you don't recall even the most trivial of events from junior high?"

Her face became abruptly concentrated. "I remember getting hit on the back of the head with a football."

I couldn't stop myself from bursting out laughing at that memory. And the funniest part of it was that it actually was amazingly trivial. Catching the wary look on her face, I eventually managed to control myself. Bella sighed. "Ever think that I might have thrown that football?" I asked her.

"You're impossible," she muttered. I chuckled, impulsively reaching forward for her hand. She caught the motion and looked away, avoiding my eye. Too late, I pulled back, staring at the empty soda can and regretting the action. What was wrong with me?

_Is getting to know my sister's best friend wrong? _I argued with myself. I conceded that there was nothing wrong with it.

So why did I feel as though she thought it was a bad idea? Maybe Alice had…no, she wouldn't do such a thing as that.

O) - O) - O) -

_Bella POV_

_Idiot_, I berated myself. _Idiot for thinking…no, don't even think about what you think you're thinking about! _

And as if things couldn't get any worse, I felt the early symptoms of a blush. I ducked my head away, scanning for Alice and the drinks. She was just coming out of the back room, angling towards the food table. Nearby, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie were seated, laughing at something Emmett had said, by the looks of it.

"Excuse me," I murmured politely, rising from my seat.

He nodded, standing as well and stuffing his hands in his pockets. "No, it's fine. I'm leaving anyway."

"Al—" I stopped myself from saying "_already?"_ which sounded pathetic in itself. For heaven's sake, it _was_ eleven o'clock at night. The guy probably needed to study or something. I knew I was making excuses (some for myself, even though I didn't want to admit it), but still…

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to Alice first?" I asked instead.

He flashed me a smile. "I'm sure you could tell her."

"Yeah." I sat back down again facing the opposite chair, listening to Edward call a final joke to Emmett and bid farewell. The light, twinkling of the bell at the door sounded as it closed.

Oddly, I felt bereft. But then again, I never needed to say goodbye to a guy before—they usually beat me to the punch. I decided to credit the empty space in my stomach to hunger, and rose to join Alice.

But there was no need, as she hurried to our table with a plateful of baby carrots, two cans of coke balanced perfectly on it.

It then hit me that she probably had purposefully left me alone with her stepbrother.

"Bella? Hey, he never said goodbye…well, I have our drinks and—"

"Alice?" I whispered, staring straight ahead. She rushed over to me, pushing the plate over and opening my can of coke. Her face was anxious.

"I am so, so, so sorry for leaving you here all alone with him. It's all my fault, will you ever forgive me? I swear never to do it again—I'll buy handcuffs so that whenever I get up to leave, you _have_ to come with me. Jasper'll accept the arrangement once I place it…"

"Alice," I moaned, burying my face in my hands.

She paused in the action of sitting down. "What's wrong?"

"I'm an idiot!"

"Oh. That makes two of us then." I felt her hand tugging at my wrist, and her voice abruptly became motherly, the ultimate height of concerned. "Bella, what's wrong? Did Edward, no, did that insolent _pig_ of a male do something to you…?"

"No!" I nearly wailed. "He didn't do anything."

She ignored me, muttering mercilessly. "I knew I was making a mistake when I left you alone with that guy. Christ, he's like one of those alien, bug-eating plants with honey—its trap n' go, that's how that boy rolls."

Stilled, I listened to her scold herself for her supposed mistake, slowly beginning to piece together what she was saying. Concentrated, I grabbed a hold of her arm. She stopped, looking up at me with disaster and confusion in her eyes

"Are you trying to imply that your stepbrother is one of those worthless dirt bags in league with Mike Newton?" I asked. As soon as I said it, I rushed for ways to disprove it.

Alice's mouth fell slightly open, and she blinked several times. Fixing a bright smile on her features, she picked up a baby carrot and raised it to my mouth. "Carrot?"

I pushed her hand away. "You are, aren't you? And he is, isn't he?"

"Oh, just ramblings. I'm getting old, and so are you." She popped the carrot into my mouth, still with the bright, scary smile.

"He is, isn't he?" I repeated after chewing and swallowing. She fiddled with her hands, nervous.

Then she sighed. I felt the early twinges of a headache.

"Um, no…he's a great brother…" she trailed off when she met my stare.

I nodded, sitting back in my seat. I should have known that flirting was just flirting and nothing more. "Don't worry, I'm not interested."

Great, I lied. Now I had to try and convince _myself_ that it was true as well.

To my surprise, Alice's face cleared, and she nodded back as she patted my head. "I know; you're better than that, Bella."

I hesitated at her words and blurted out what my heart wanted to know, deep in its core. As much as I trusted Alice on her judgment, I still had to know.

"Yeah. Um. One question, did you actually witness him in the act of kiss n' ditch?" Her face was in earnest as she made to respond, probably desperate to redeem herself for spilling something Edward expressly forbade her from.

But before she could speak, Rosalie came up from behind her, holding our coats. "Time to go."

"It's still messy," I pointed out. She shrugged.

"Wake up early tomorrow so we can clear it before class." She thrust the bundle into my arms and went to go to Emmett.

Alice pulled on her jacket and skipped to Jasper, where they went out into the cold. I followed after them, and Rosalie shut and locked the door behind my back. Emmett looked up at me, beaming.

"Thanks for throwing the party, instead of letting me lie in bed like a cripple."

"Anytime." He squeezed my hand as we began walking to Rosalie's car. Jasper and Alice, I knew, would want to be alone.

**--:::--:::--:::--:::--**

Later at the dorm, lying in bed and staring sleeplessly at the ceiling, I listened to Alice's steady breathing from the other bunk. I also wondered about—dare I say it?—Edward. If we would ever see him again on campus, just on chance. After all, in the end, he _was_ Alice's brother.

_Probably not_, I admitted to myself. If I was going to be honest, it was unlikely that someone like him would ever consider…I let the thought trail off, rolling over. Was I stupid? Didn't I just hear Alice confess about him? I was lucky if I _didn't_ inspire any feelings, as far as anyone was concerned.

Besides, I didn't think I was ready for another relationship at the moment. The other one was a disaster enough, and the one before that didn't work out. It was like the case with Alice's mother. It just wasn't working. And there was the tiny, but very vocal fear that the same issue would happen.

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_A/N: _...And so the curtain closes on Scene Two. Rosalie's so much fun to write, by the way xD I'm planning to write a story in her point of view. Anyway... **'-**_shakes a tin can with a huge smile_**-'** thoughts?? 


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**A/N: First, I'd like to give a big _Thank You_ to my reviewers because, no matter how many people review, even one of them puts the icing on the cake! Call me crazy, but mwah, XOXO. **

**Happy reading. **

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Three_**: _I'll Tell You If You Tell Me_

It was always a wonder for me how one minute, you could be up at two in the morning, partying yourself to catatonia; and the next…in an auditorium typing like mad to catch your professor's noteworthy comments.

Yawning, I took a short reprieve, stretching my fingers and glancing around the room. To my right, Elsie Ivanova, the brilliant and temperamental exchange student from Russia, was bent over her laptop. In front of me, Lauren Mallory's platinum blonde head rested against the seat, a picture of defeat. She always did claim that too much typing was bad for the nails—_her_ nails, which always were French manicured. Well, gee, of course it was bad.

My own nails were chewed down to the quick from every test, exam, and incomprehensible concept. My hands hovered over the keyboard again, waiting for the stout woman at the front to resume teaching. When she did, I sighed, typing down the highlights and ignoring the edging. Beside me, Elsie took down everything. A bead of sweat ran down the side of her cheek.

Okay, I've met extremely ambitious before but this…she needed to relax.

"Hey, Bella," a voice whispered from behind me.

"Yeah, what?" I whispered back, trying to place the voice.

"It's Jessica." Jessica Stanley—aka, little miss gossip herself.

"I'm a little busy here, Jess."

"So is Edward Masen's girlfriend."

I froze. _Snap out of it!_ I hissed to my brain. I resumed typing, pretending that I hadn't heard anything. Pretending that I didn't care.

"I was at the party last night—awesome, by the way," she continued, using one of the words on Dr. Davies' "Forbidden" list: _awesome_. "And, I saw you and Brandon chatting it up with Edward."

High school habits die hard. "For your information, _Jessica_, Mr. Masen is Alice's stepbrother," I told her through gritted teeth. "Wouldn't it be a little wrong for her to be 'chatting it up' with him?"

"Really?" Surprise colored her tone.

So she didn't know, I noted, relaxing. I couldn't wait to tell Alice what the minion had said about her. But she restarted.

"Well, unless I was mistaken, _you're_ not related to him by any means, are you?"

I was _not_ having this conversation. Determinedly, I increased my typing speed, ignoring all the mistakes I made. I hoped that the clock's ticking would fall into the same rhythm and save me.

"Bella, you aren't good at sorting out men, aren't you?" Jessica's voice pricked needles into the back of my neck.

"Shut up," hissed Elsie crossly, and I heard Jessica lean away from my seat. I shot Elsie a grateful look. She returned it with a smile so fleeting I might have imagined it there. The period continued, relatively peaceful except for Dr. Davies' loud voice, which couldn't have been avoided even if we wanted to.

I jumped up and began to pack my things the moment the period was over, refusing to give Jessica a chance to get a word in edgewise. I honestly did not want to deal with _her_ on top of everything. Hurrying out past everyone, I glanced over my shoulder to see Jessica animatedly in conversation with Lauren. Good for her.

"Excuse me," I mumbled, pushing past someone to get through the door and stumbling into the hallway. Breathing in, I took a break to fix myself before turning to walk up the stairs…

Only to find Edward and his buddies about to come sauntering down.

"_Shoot_!" I whimpered. This day was going to suck, and I knew it.

Turning tail, I broke into a run, skirting through the traffic and praying not to trip over and fall on my face. Maybe I was a fool to put even the _tiniest _belief in Jess's gossip, but hell—better safe than sorry. And I wasn't going to be the one to break it to the girlfriend that her man was doing some serious damage. I probably wasn't even the _first_. But I was certainly not going to be the next.

"YOUNG LADY!"

I winced and reluctantly skidded to a stop in front of Professor Carr's office. Fabulous, just what I needed: another lecture. His suit was crisp and resplendent as always, everything old, wise, and scholarly. But good? No.

He crossed his arms. "Whatever on earth are you running for?"

I fidgeted with the keychain on my bag. "Um, I—I'm late for class."

"Miss…"

"Swan."

"And, Miss Swan, whose problem is that?"

"Mine," I said miserably, mentally cursing my inept lying skills.

He still looked dissatisfied, as if I should have given something more profound.

I cringed under his vulture-stare and opened my mouth several times to say something else lame, only to find that the words would evaporate before I choked them out.

"Bella! There you are."

_Mercy_, I thought, feeling my heart miss a beat at hearing _his_ voice. The one person who I tried to run from. Stupid timing; couldn't it, I don't know, slow down a bit?

"And you are?" Prof. Carr raised an eyebrow as Edward came to a stop beside me.

"Edward Masen, sir." He turned to me, his eyes willing me to play along. "What were you doing going in the wrong direction? Of course you're going to miss class if you go that way."

_Why, I was trying to avoid _you, I answered silently.

"Do you know this young man?" Both Carr and Edward gave me questioning looks.

Talk about pressure.

"Not really," I mumbled. Edward gave my ankle a kick. "Yes. I know him."

"Well, then." Professor Carr glanced between the two of us, clearing his throat. "Hurry to class. Miss Swan, improve your sense of direction."

Edward chuckled under his breath. I threw him a glare as soon as Carr closed the door to his office. The hallways were all but empty now, with only a few students loitering about

"What'd you do that for?" I demanded. He raised an eyebrow.

"Why, you're very welcome, _Miss Swan._" In a huff, I clutched my books to myself and hurried to the staircase. He kept up with me easily. "I just saved you from the strict English professor and I don't get a thank you?"

Ignoring his words, I stumbled up the stairs. Edward followed right on my heels. What was he doing here anyway? This was the _English_ department. If he was studying for medicine, wasn't he supposed to be across the campus? As he continued stalking me, I contemplated flat-out telling him to get lost.

"Bella, any words? I asked if I could escort you to your next class."

"Why do you care?"

"Alice would do the same."

"And are you four foot eleven with spiky black hair?" I retorted, searching for the classroom. As I began to turn a corner, he snagged my elbow and spun me around to face him. I looked instead to the area above his left shoulder, avoiding the intense green of his eyes.

"Bella, did I do something wrong?" He searched my face.

It wasn't good for my health to be this close in proximity to him. Biting my bottom lip, I forced myself to meet his gaze. "Look, I'm really grateful for what you did down there, but I'm not a puppy, so stop chasing me around."

"You're better than a puppy, that's why I'm doing this."

"Can't you go play Sir Galahad to your girlfriend?" I managed to spit out, sorry for doing it, sorry for feeling remorse.

There was a short moment of silence.

Edward released me, taken aback. "Is that what this is all about?"

I pursed my lips, rather than responding, as his expression changed to quiet amusement.

"What, are you worried that I'm one of those jerks who run away from commitment?"

"Who's talking about commitment?"

"Isn't that why?"

"I didn't ask for anything."

"Silence can be the loudest voice in a crowded hall."

I didn't respond, feeling my anger begin to recede at the words which I'd heard all my life being bounced between my parents' houses. But this was the first time I'd ever heard it in this way.

"Whatever made you think that I was anything but single?" he asked gently.

Slowly, my hopes began to rise against my will, seeing implications in his words. "Someone told me that…" I trailed off when he started laughing.

At the same time, I was relieved. Evidently Jessica's gossip was just that—plain, spiteful gossip. What was I thinking? Edward would never think about cheating on his girlfriend, even a nonexistent one.

When his eye caught the time on his watch, he stepped back, traces of a smile on his face.

"I've made you late enough already." I held my breath when he reached out to tuck a stray hair behind my ear. "So. Why don't we just cut class altogether?"

"Why?" I asked dumbly.

He rolled his eyes, grabbed my hand, and began steering me towards the library. This idea was much to my amusement. Ditching class for the _library_...and I thought I was a goody-goody.

"Come on, Bella, don't you have an essay to do?" he asked teasingly, seeing the expression on my face.

"Actually, n—"

"Edward, darling, hello!" a voice gasped to my left, cutting right across me.

The girl looked familiar. Where had I seen her? Dark coils of auburn hair were held back behind an elegantly poised head, accented by a creamy complexion and coolly gray eyes. Before my mind could place her, she'd run to Edward, practically throwing herself in his arms and embracing him. Shocked, but in no way displeased (of course not), he returned the hug.

"Michelle?" Edward stopped, stared. His face was alight with recognition.

"_Mon coeur_, can you believe we meet again?" Michelle asked delightedly, completely oblivious to my presence.

The rich voice registered to mind, bringing images of café lattes.

Rule numbers two thru four in being employed by Rosalie: always remember your customers. Always forgive your customers. Always remember their orders right down to their records.

I supposed that Ms. Hale would want to know this girl owed her eight twenty-five.

* * *

**A/N: PM me if you have a guess to who Michelle is. This isn't her first appearance in this story. **

**Are you permitted to hate Michelle? Oh, yes. Rosalie certainly will disapprove of her. So make Rose happy. And when Rosey's happy, Emmett's happy. Don't you just love to see Emmett smile? Lol, sorry, being random. **

**0o0o0o0o**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Characters property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**A/N: Hugs and kisses to my readers and reviewers! Without you guys, I wouldn't have the motivation to write this story. And I'd also like to acknowledge EC4me in guessing that Michelle was the girl with Angela Weber back in Chapter 1. An extra hug...from Edward! Even if he doesn't know it yet...**

**(Originally, this chapter didn't include Edward's POV, but after getting tipped off that his exit was a little fuzzy, I decided to include it) **

**As always, happy reading. _

* * *

_ **

_Four_: _Ben and Jerry's_

_Edward POV_

"No, I can't believe it," I replied with difficulty, trying to untangle the hold Michelle had around my neck.

This was definitely on the top list of coincidences. I had gotten the impression that she was supposed to be in Harvard.

"And don't call me _'mon coeur'_," I added.

"Shall I rephrase it into English, then?"

"No!"

What was she doing over here? We'd made it a clean break back in high school. It was only supposed to be a casual relationship, nothing serious. Now she pops back speaking in that native tongue of hers, thinking she could still win me over.

Yes, I was won over, but not by her. Never her. Never again.

"Edward, aren't you happy?" she asked when I finally managed to push her off...in the politest way possible.

"Sure. Now meet Bella Swan. She's my sister's..." My heart stopped.

Bella was gone.

Michelle laughed flirtatiously, but I barely heard it. "Oh, Edward, you're hilarious, introducing me to an imaginary friend. Aren't you too old for that sort of thing?"

I could almost read traces of Bella's thoughts in the air before she bolted. She'd just confirmed gossip. She'd also just listed me as something I wasn't. Narrowing my eyes, I thought back to Alice and what Bella had said.

_"Someone told me that..." _Ha. "Someone"? From what I knew, she and Alice had been best friends since nursery school. Bella would definitely want to protect her-- especially if she went around spreading gossip. I'd never thought it would be in Alice's nature to do that.

My stomach tightened. I guess you just never knew a person.

I had to fix that, and I had to do it soon. I simply couldn't bear it if Bella went on believing that I was...

"Darling, are you still with me?"

Taking a breath, I gave a courteous smile to Michelle, nodded, and walked away from her. She wasn't stupid; she'd get the message. Meanwhile, I needed to have a talk with my so-called stepsister.

O)- O)- O)-

_Bella POV_

_Did my day suck? Oh, no. It was highly educational in the ways of love, and how it creeps up behind you, ties a handkerchief over your eyes, and kicks you over Mt. Everest. _

At least I didn't fall in too deep. I don't think…

Stopping, I bit my bottom lip and shifted my book bag on my shoulder after mindlessly running off to wherever my instinct brought me. Glancing around, I realized that our dorm was close by. So instinct did work, in the end. The grip on the strap of my bag tightened as I thought again of what could have happened between me and…him. A fresh roll of anger crashed over me and I felt the familiar, prickling wetness of tears hovering behind my eyes.

I had really wanted to see Jessica and Alice proven wrong; really wanted to see that there was more behind gorgeous good looks than what met the beholder. But most of all, and this is what disappointed me most, I really, truly wanted to get to know Edward.

I was a fool. Even worse, I was a _sad_ fool.

I ducked my head to brush at my eyes as someone passed by and hastened to the only place of refuge that I knew of. I tripped once as I made my way to the dorm room. Fumbling for my key, I finally managed to twist it with my benumbed fingers.

"Hey, Bella, having a nice day?"

Blinking, I assessed the room. Emmett? But what was he doing here? The only normal fixture in the room was Alice, who was busily scribbling something in a notebook and glancing at her laptop. Rosalie, who had been practically inseparable with Emmett, was nowhere in sight.

Dropping my bag at the foot of the door, I stared at my cousin as he sipped from a glass of lemonade and resumed reading his Stephen King novel.

"Did Rosalie finally get tired of your insufferable behind?" I asked, ignoring the obvious edge in my words. I took the few necessary steps to cross to my bed.

"Cranky much?" Emmett frowned at me.

Alice answered my question without a break in her notes. "No, I convinced her to go back to classes, but she wouldn't allow Emmett all alone in her flat. So she dropped him off here."

"Wonderful, we're babysitting a twenty-two year old." I sat down on the corner of my mattress, chastised at taking out my emotions on the two closest people to me in the university. Maybe I just wasn't cut out for love.

Decisively, Alice set down her pen and turned around in her chair wearily. "What's up, Bella?"

"The sky."

A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. "And what's _down_, then?"

She was humoring me, but I didn't mind. Anything to get rid of the awful knot in my chest. "Grass, dirt, weeds…"

"Pretty bleak picture," Emmett muttered under his breath.

"Yeah, well, go back into your world of…" I quickly scanned the description of his book, and then rolled my eyes at finishing. "…'a wilderness maze full of peril and terror.'"

"Shut up."

"I think," Alice began thoughtfully, reaching across her desk to open the mini-fridge, "that we're in need for the expertise of Ben and Jerry's—don't you?"

"Hey, is this some kind of girly ritual thing?" Emmett set aside his book, watching Alice pick out two tubs with interest. "If so, ladies, then I'm in."

It was wonderful to know that my cousin could still break through even the bleakest moments. "Don't be one of those poor, gender-confused souls, Emmett," I told him gaily. "Be a man!"

"I _am_ a man. And real men participate in feminine voodoo…especially if it involves ice cream."

Alice rolled her eyes as she lobbed a tub of vanilla in my direction. Typically, I missed. "Emmett, it's 'real men _cry'_. And unless I was mistaken, you're not Italian, are you?"

"_Jasper's_ not Italian," Emmett retorted.

"Don't make this a thing between my boyfriend and Italians!"

"Too late, I already have, so _ha._"

"Emmett, go cut off your head."

"Sugar, I'm not Anne Boleyn."

"Oops, my bad—she got someone else to do it _for_ her."

"Alice, put down that letter opener!"

I struggled to pry open the cover of the tub after retrieving it from the floor, purposefully strode to my desk drawer for spoons, dug one into the vanilla, and stuck it in Emmett's mouth before he could make Alice even more defensive. "You know what Italians are good at? Ice cream. So why don't we just sit here and pretend we have some of that, okay?"

"And cars," Alice added, promptly brightening. "Did you see that Lamborghini Mr. Hale wanted? Gorgeous!"

Emmett nodded agreeably and helped himself to another scoop from my tub when I offered it to him. For a little while, I could pretend that things weren't as difficult as they used to be. That Edward Masen had no part in our lives and I could just relax and be the odd one out as usual, with Alice spouting out enthusiasm and Emmett messing around. Sitting cross-legged at the foot of my bed, I snatched the vanilla ice cream from Emmett before he could eat it all.

But the peace was destroyed.

Alice's cell phone rang loudly and protestingly from beside her notebook.

Emmett and I exchanged a knowing glance; this had to be Jasper.

She held up a finger with a smile as she flipped open the phone and held it to her ear, licking off chocolate ice cream from her fingers. "Hello?"

"What do you think they're doing today?" I asked Emmett, smirking.

"Hmm, if I recall him correctly, Mr. Smooth-and-Slick probably grabbed tickets for the play downtown at the Civic Auditorium."

"That sounds about accurate."

Jasper was known for his smooth efficiency—hence the nickname—in his dates with Alice. But while it would appear arranged and meticulously planned by anyone else, he had the mysterious skill of making it casual, totally unplanned, and so, so romantic. It was a good thing we liked him, else Rose, Emmett, and I would be driven to suspicion.

I shivered from the amount of ice cream that I'd shoveled into my mouth and passed it off to Emmett. Grabbing the nearest pillow, I hugged it to myself, watching Alice when none of her usual giggling poured forth.

This was odd.

Instead, there was a fast-fading smile on her face, and she was chewing on her cheek. There was a nervous sheen over her widened eyes as they flickered to me and away.

"Um, excuse me?" The sudden flash of insult in her tone caused me to put aside the pillow. This couldn't possibly be Jasper.

"Alice?"

She glanced at me briefly and mumbled something into the phone before putting a hand over it. She gave me a natural smile. "Bella, I'll be just a sec, okay?"

"Wait, why can't you talk to whoever's on the line here? We won't bother you."

Alice shook her head quickly as she walked to the door and pulled it open. "No, you look like you need some rest." She passed a hand across my forehead as though expecting a temperature. "I wouldn't want to intrude on it."

"You aren't…"

I heard my voice fade off as she held up a finger while shutting the door. The last words that I heard before the lock clicked were, "Will you please explain to me again why…"

Frowning, I made myself move back to Emmett and took the ice cream tub away from him again.

"Hey, I was eating that!" he complained.

Sighing, I placed the tub between us so we could both have our fill of soothing vanilla.

O) - O) - O)-

_Alice POV_

_Christ! _Agitatedly, I ran a hand through my hair and leaned against the door as my head reeled from the punch Edward had just delivered. He was speaking low and terse on the other line, but I barely registered what he was saying, gathering my wits to speak.

"Edward, how could you say that?" I finally whispered, deeply hurt.

His breath was rough on the other end. "Which?"

"I'd _never_ do or say anything that would upset you to _anybody_, not even my best friend."

"Never is a strong word, Alice."

"I mean it," I persisted earnestly. I truly meant it. He had to hear that I meant it.

Silence. And then a heavy sigh. "It's too bad that I don't believe you."

"But—"

"For god's sake, Alice, would it kill you to withhold at least _one_ thing from Bella?"

"I've withheld Jasper," I replied nervously, trying for humor.

"Alice."

I remained silent, chewing fretfully on my finger and staring sightlessly at the opposite wall, waiting for him to speak again. When he didn't, I ventured, "Edward?"

"What is it?" His voice was weary.

"Could you somehow, please, make me understand what's going on?"

"You tell me."

I didn't know what to tell him. But now, I attempted to recall the words and phrases that had come through the phone while my mind was in turmoil. "Um, you're saying that I allegedly told Bella something about you that I shouldn't have?"

There was a low laugh on the other end, grim. "I knew I didn't have a dumbass for a sister."

"I didn't tell her anything!" I protested.

"Think back and think hard, Alice."

I'd always wanted an older brother, and Edward was the best there was. I'd do almost anything for him, even though we didn't have the solid bond of blood between us. Taking a breath, I decided to talk it out.

"I told Bella about our parents getting married…"

"Yeah, I was there. Go on."

"…and how wonderful a sibling you are."

"You really think that?" he asked, his voice calmer now, softened.

"Sure I do. I mean, you don't beat on me like other brothers usually do."

He chuckled on the other end of the line, and a wave of relief spread over me.

"I'm sorry for whatever I said, Edward."

There was a heavy release of breath. "Is that all you told Bella?"

"Well…no."

More silence. And then, in a conversational tone worse than his anger, "Did you happen to tell her that I had a girlfriend? Sound familiar, Alice?"

"What? _No_!!" The vehemence of my denial surprised me—but hey, it bolstered up the truth.

"No?"

"Why on earth would I go around telling people that you have an imaginary girlfriend? What do you think I am, one of those weird overprotective, control-freak sisters that sabotage their brothers' lives? Are you for _serious_?" My hand, which had been waving and jabbing at the air, now waved at a person that passed by. He stared at me like I'd gone insane while walking away.

"Alice!" Edward shouted at me from the other end.

"What?"

"So you didn't tell her that I was taken?"

"Why does it matter?"

"It doesn't. Listen, just answer the question!"

"No, of course I didn't. And you're not…right?"

"No!"

"Oh, okay, just checking."

We both shared a laugh, mine relieved, his oddly triumphant. When it subsided, I leaned back against the door, waiting for him to continue. Somehow, I knew that I wasn't off the hook just yet.

"What else did you tell Bella?" he asked after a beat.

Uh-oh. "Uh, I don't know if you won't care about it or not, because you're better than that, and know for yourself whether it's true or not, so…"

"You're babbling."

I mentally thanked him for stating the obvious. "Right. Well," I took a breath, "I _may_ have told Bella that you're the kind of guy that doesn't stay very long in a relationship, that you're a heartbreaker, and that she could do better than—"

"ALICE!!" He groaned.

Crap. Oh crap. "So…I wasn't supposed to tell her that."

"_NO._"

This was the second time I felt chastised and cornered, and I had to get myself out of it. I shot back, "In my defense, she's my best friend. And anyway, it's true, and you know it Edward Anthony Masen! Isn't it fair for her to know what she'd be up against flirting with you?"

"You—"

"And furthermore, no offense, but you need new shoes. Yuck, like I'm going to let Bella go out with someone with worn footwear and a reputation to boot."

I waited for his response and heard a sharp intake of breath. I had been his sister for over a year now; the guy had to understand my wardrobe criteria.

"A bit of advice from your older brother?"

"Yeah, shoot."

"Update your calendar."

Wait—what? I held the phone closer to my ear. "Excuse me?"

"The…one-night stand theme? It's over."

This _was_ interesting. This was new. I really did have to update my calendar. "Congratulations. Nice to see that you're shedding your high school reputation, Ed."

I could almost hear him grimace on the other end. "Don't call me that."

"I need details now, you know me. So spill!"

There was a rustling on the other end and the muffled voices of his roommates. While I waited for him to come back to the phone, I marveled at his decision. Edward was a Mr. High-and-Mighty in high school, with a name as a marvelous halfback in football. And, among other things, a reputation with the ladies that didn't escape anyone's notice. If Bella was the cause of this groundbreaking news, well…!

"Alice, I have to go."

"Okay. Hey, Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Are you free tomorrow for lunch?"

He laughed. "Are you setting me up with someone?"

"No. We're going to talk. I really think we need to," I added, a small smile beginning to unfold. Really, I was just asking him out of courtesy. If I had it my way, I'd just grab him at a moment's notice, and force him to sit at a civilized luncheon…coupled with a shopping trip.

"Alright, then. Who's driving?"

"Me."

"Fine. And, Alice?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for being honest."

"Love you, too."

We said our goodbyes, and for a long while, I just stood there outside the dorm, assessing the situation. And planning who Bella could have lunch with tomorrow. Smiling at inspiration, I turned back and went in.

"Hey, is there more ice cream?"

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: You know what? I'll just put an official disclaimer on my page. All belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

**A/N: I'm afraid the next updates'll be rather slow, because I've got to concentrate on maintaining my grades. School always comes first, as you guys should know. Well, here you go. _

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_**

_Five: __Al Fresco_

_Bella POV_

"Rise and shine!" Alice trilled loudly from behind me.

I mumbled incoherently to myself and burrowed deeper into the pillows on my bed until I was comfortable enough to continue sleeping. It was really very comfortable, where I was. Everything fuzzy and soft….Besides, Alice didn't want to talk about her phone call yesterday, when we actually felt like discussing it. She had absolutely no right to intrude upon my sleep. Sighing, I began to drift off again.

And then the window blinds were pulled back to let in the bright, piercing light of Saturday morning.

"No," I moaned, covering my head. "Shut the window, 'm sleeping!"

"Not for long, you won't." I curled up into a tight ball when I heard the springs creak, signaling Alice's presence at the edge of my bed. She sighed heavily and pulled the blankets off. "Fine, be that way. I'm just here to tell you that after classes, you'll be going to lunch with Emmett."

Just what I needed, more babysitting, when the day had just barely begun. "Why?"

"Because he's your cousin and he loves you ever so much. He'll be waiting down at the Café."

"Ah, well." Surrendering, I stretched and slowly sat up, rubbing at my eyes. "And where will you be going?"

"I have an appointment."

"With a doctor?" I swung my legs over my bed and stuck my feet in the fuzzy, blue slippers my mother, Renee, had given me two birthdays ago.

Alice smirked, shouldering her book bag and grabbing her purse. "You could say that."

"Have fun."

"Bye, Bella."

With a yawn, I cast about the room for my hairbrush and finally found it sitting on the mini-fridge with my finished essay. Checking the time, I proceeded with my daily morning rush to get ready.

In fifteen minutes, I was out the door and trying to tiptoe unnoticed into the classroom, where the session had already begun.

O) - O) - O) –

It struck me as odd, how fast the day was moving. Again, it was like the situation with partying and taking notes—you feel swept up, exhausted, yet notice only when you stop to take a breath. Crazy, that's what it was. Before I knew it, classes were over and I was free to seek out Emmett down at work with Rosalie.

On the drive over, I had plenty of time to think about things I thought I'd neglected. While checking out my email in the library, I found the latest, bubbly account of my mother's weekend with her husband (not my father, of course). I didn't have much time to formulate a properly enthusiastic response, so I left it at that, resolving to respond later.

I also wondered about Alice. She'd been oddly…peppy last night—as if that were possible—and I'd half-suspected her of spiking the ice cream. But no. She was fine, if only a little more secretive over the phone call last night and acting as though nothing at all ever happened. Perhaps it was Jasper. Who knows? I probably should have dismissed the call after being reassured of Alice's well-being, but there was something about it that wasn't quite right. From the ringing urgency to the extreme need for privacy…no, I could _not_ dismiss it.

I concentrated on executing a halfway decent parallel park along the designated sidewalk space. Getting out, I continued the rest of the way at a walk.

"BELLA!"

I turned at hearing Emmett's voice and saw him emerge from the post office a block behind, practically beaming with unexplained joy. "Yeah?" I yelled back, ignoring the stares from the people that passed.

"YOU'LL WAIT THERE?"

His voice was always overloud when he was particularly happy. I nodded, edging closer to the entrance to Forever 21 to my right, waiting.

Ha, I make myself laugh sometimes. Cross the street? Oh, no, not unless it was Emmett style.

In short, it was spectacular. Only Emmett would roll out into the middle of a busy intersection shouting ecstatically, "Cripple! Don't touch the cripple!" and actually making it across without causing a complete catastrophe. Well, unless you counted the various swear words and frustrated shouts of the drivers because, being proper, decent people, they couldn't _possibly_ run over a cripple.

I could only stand gaping at the scene while Emmett rolled over to me in his wheelchair, positively struck by exhilaration. "Hey, Bella! How's it going?"

"What happened to being civilized? What happened to meeting me at the Café? Where it's _safe_?"

"I felt like finally playing the 'I'm a cripple' card. No," he added breezily when I began spluttering, "I actually needed to pick up some mail from the post office."

"And was it really so important that you needed to risk your life?"

"Yes."

After three seconds of just smiling up at me and not saying anything, I knew that he had no intention of continuing. With a sigh, I took up the handles of the back of the wheelchair and proceeded to push him towards the Café.

"Just move past the Café; Rosalie already knows about our day out. Just me, you, good food…trouble…"

I inhaled fearfully.

"…_Small_ trouble, since you're not hardcore enough to handle the big guns. Bella, did you bring money?"

"I didn't expect you to pay," I said dryly. "How much did _you_ happen to bring?"

"My credit card."

I didn't know whether to worry more about his credit record or what he planned to use it on. "That's good."

"Especially since today's a special day. A _very_ special day."

"Uh, happy birthday?" I asked, rifling through my mind on its date.

He snuck a look back at me, annoyed. "Come now, Bells, aren't I allowed to call a day out with my favorite cousin a special day?"

Emmett fought to hide his smile when I looked both ways as we reached the end of the block and waited for the signal to "walk". "For one, I'm your _only_ cousin. And anyway, we used to do this all the time, remember?"

He was quiet for a moment as we passed a gaggle of shoppers carrying bags bearing Abercrombie and Fitch's logo—a sign that we'd reached the major shopping promenade.

"Yeah, I remember. But it seemed like a long time since we'd done this, since I'd been in…hell."

Understanding and a rush of affection washed over me at his words. Gripping the left handle of the wheelchair as I pushed, I reached over and squeezed his right shoulder very briefly. "Em."

"I missed you too, Bella," he said quietly. "I'm really kind of glad that I injured myself, if it meant coming back here, with you guys."

"Don't say that. It's bad that you injured yourself."

"Is it really?" He twisted around to look at me, jaw tight. "Bella, think about it. If I died, instead of getting injured, would you ever see me again?"

I pressed my lips together without answering as we quickly dismissed the option of Greek cuisine and moved through the throng of shoppers.

"That's a rhetorical question, Emmett," I finally said. I didn't want to talk about dying—leaving—whatever it was called.

He snorted, shifting in his seat. My shoulders, tense and bracing, gradually loosened as I sensed the dismissal of the subject. I shaded my eyes and looked across the street to our right, where the afternoon traffic was just beginning to stream in.

"Let's eat Italian." I followed his eyes to see him gazing at a tiny, corner restaurant at the end of the block.

"Okay."

"After," he laid a hand on mine, restraining. "After, we go check out something."

I slowed down our pace, uncertain once more. "Aw, come on! I'm hungry now. Can't it wait?"

"That's a rhetorical question, Bella."

"It is _not_." My stomach growled loudly as a follow-up, and even _I_ had to smile.

Emmett threw me a beseeching look that totally dissolved whatever resolve I had left. "Please? I won't take long. It's what's making the day so special."

Defeated, I continued down along the block, passed the delicious scent that came from the restaurant, and turned left as Emmett indicated. "I thought it was because we had family quality time that made the day special," I accused.

"That's part of it. The other part is that you're the one I chose to come with me on this."

In spite of myself, I was curious. What could possibly make this day so great? Sure, it was a sunny day in Illinois, beautiful, clear. And the brisk walk was fueling my energy. "Why me? Why not Rosalie?"

"Good question. Why not Rosalie, do you think, Bella?" His tone was so serious that I was thrown off course for a moment.

"She's busy," I pointed out reasonably.

"True, true, but that's not it. Remember when I came out of the post office on a high?"

"And crossed the street like a lunatic?" I supplied sarcastically. "How could I possibly forget?"

"Be nice," he muttered under his breath. I sighed. "And I wasn't being a lunatic."

"Okay, you're sane. But how does mail and Rosalie connect?" The only mail I'd ever seen associated with Rosalie was bills, mail from her parents, and letters from Emmett.

He sighed, as if I was being particularly slow today. "You know what, just forget it. Enough about Rose, how's _your_ love life going?"

Reflexively, I stiffened, bit the inside of my cheek and erased all thought in my mind. "It's dead," I said flatly.

Emmett threw me a reproachful glance over his shoulder, which I too-late avoided. That tiny glimpse he got was probably enough to gouge the issue. "When I knew you, you weren't this deep of a pessimist. How did it die? You didn't kill it, did you?"

"No," I objected instantly.

"Love doesn't die at the push of a button," he mused, "that is, unless you did something like throw the remote control against the T.V."

"Very funny, Emmett. What makes you think that _I_ caused it to die? Hypothetically," I added quickly at the fleeting, ironic look he sent me.

"Okay, so say that hypothetically, you fell for someone. Hypothetically, you, being _you_, caused it to die. The end."

For a moment, I was at a loss for words. "What do you mean by 'me being me'?" What was wrong with me?

"Pretend that I'm Dr. Phil. When was your last relationship?"

The thought of Emmett being this close to baldness, as well as a miracle worker, would have caused me to laugh, had this been a less serious situation. But it _was_ serious. "Emmett, you know what it was."

He gave me a dirty look. "Fine, don't role-play. And you _did_ cause it to die by over-thinking it. Seriously Bella, who the hell over-thinks falling in love with someone?"

"People playing safe."

"A fool," he corrected disapprovingly, causing me to flinch. "Bella, when are you ever going to learn?"

"I _did_ learn. And in the case of Mike Newton, I think that I was justified in over-thinking."

"Wrong. He was a pretty decent guy, Bells, even if he was a bit of a retard with girls and dating. You could have lasted at least a year and a half with him if you tried harder."

"But I'm not asking for just a year and a half," I protested, stopping to take a break and wheeling Emmett against the wall. I folded my arms across my chest when he eyed me speculatively.

"Maybe your standards are too high, or you're picking the wrong guys," he finally conceded.

"Emmett, you should know that I framed my standards around you," I told him, giving a small smile when he grinned and reached out to take my hand.

"Well, your taste is definitely not the problem." I rolled my eyes as he continued. "So, yes, you're overdoing the 'mind over heart' thing that Aunt Renee taught you."

"Technically speaking, your brain _is_ over your heart. And have you ever heard of misguided passion leading to disaster?" I moved aside to let someone pass by and leaned against the brick wall behind us.

Emmett chuckled and shook his head, releasing my hand and tapping his fingers on the armrest. "Beat this, Miss English Literature: 'T is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all."

"Tennyson," I stated grudgingly. "And you're not playing fair, pulling that one on me."

"Have it your way, but I'm still right. And anyway, commitments don't always last," he returned back to his main theme, my poorly constructed love life. Motioning with his hand to start walking again, we began to make our way in leisure down the block. "You can't expect too much from the other person. That is, until you find 'the one'. When you find that person, you can't expect anything."

He was right. Deep inside, I knew he was right. It was just that being guarded for so long…it wasn't something that I could simply cast aside. It was protection, it was reflex, it—it never gave Edward a chance to explain who Michelle was before I escaped the scene. His face when he'd suggested ditching flashed momentarily in my mind, as vividly eager and hopeful as yesterday. And my heart wrenched for it, had responded automatically.

"It isn't that I'm scared or anything," I said aloud. "It's just…habit."

"A bad habit," Emmett responded darkly. "If anything, kill _that_."

I nodded determinedly, suddenly feeling lighter than I'd ever felt before. "Thanks, Emmett," I said feelingly. I'd try again…if Edward would forgive me for running off.

"Anytime," he replied with a quick smile. Without notice, he began to lean forward almost eagerly, scanning around our surroundings keenly.

It was then that I remembered we—or _he_, more accurately—was shopping for something, whatever it was. How was I supposed to help if I—

"There! _Run_, Bella!" Emmett crowed excitedly, pointing directly at a partly obscured sign bearing _Tiffany & Co._ as if it were a candy shop.

"Jewelry?" I asked disbelievingly while pushing and heaving the heavy wheelchair all the way to the shop's floor-length window panels at the very end of the block. "What…?"

I gasped when I finally saw what he was pointing at. Time seemed to pause as everything clicked. Emmett's high at the post-office, why he didn't want to shop with Rosalie, our conversation about love and relationships.

This was why today was so special.

"Oh, my god."

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Emmett asked wistfully. "It'd look better on Rose's finger once I ask her though."

The engagement ring was in the classic Tiffany Setting, with a platinum-silver band and the diamond catching the light brilliantly in the center. Simple and elegant. We stood, transfixed and admiring at the window.

And then, absurdly, the price came to mind.

"Emmett, do you know how much it is?" I breathed. He snorted and laughed, wheeling around to go through the entrance.

"Bella, Bella. You can't put a price on love."

"But—"

"What did I say about heads and hearts?"

Right, that. I nodded and smiled. "Get your credit card ready."

"And for your information, I know the exact price."

With that, we strolled into the store.

O) - O) - O) -

_Alice POV_

I placed my fork down in satisfaction of the meal, going through everything that Edward and I had talked about for the duration of the entire hour or so. It was a long hour of give and take and understanding. And patience. We were so different on so many levels.

Oh, yes, and apology. I cringed while lifting the glass of water to my lips. I'd lost count after the fifth "I'm sorry" when Edward told me about his high school past—the real stuff—and how he'd broken up with Michelle Roux in order to start anew. How he was ready for commitment, and how Bella's remark had hit a nerve when she'd told him, and I quote, to go "play Sir Galahad to his girlfriend".

All in all, my brother was a great guy. And I was, even though I hated to admit it, stupidly blinded not to have clarified with him first before ruining his chances with Bella.

Here, I lost count of "I'm sorry"s as well. I was just so used to being, well, pretty much right all the time, I guess.

Across from me, Edward checked his watch and pushed away his plate with a slightly uncertain expression on his face. That, I already knew, was odd.

"What's wrong?" I asked, and then continued teasingly, "Did you forget your wallet?"

"No, I'll pay the bill. I'm just…thinking." He placed the cash on the small, black tray as our server whisked it away.

"Uh-huh." I traced paths through the ice-cold fog on the glass. "About Bella?"

The fleeting expression on his face was a dead giveaway. He chose not to respond.

"You know, you still might have a chance with her."

"Might."

"I'm sorry," I apologized again, meekly. "Really, I am."

He ran a hand through his hair bleakly. "I know you are. It was an accident. But I don't know what to_ do_ about Bella."

I stopped tracing circles and sat up. "What do you mean, 'do'? You're going to go up to her, apologize regardless of whether or not you need to, and start being happy!"

"It's not that easy. I may as well simply leave her alone."

"You," I stated authoritatively, "are going to do no such thing."

He stared at me for a moment, measuring my words. I knew he wasn't going to leave Bella alone. The resolve in his eyes was rock solid. "Yeah, you're right," he snorted, crossing his arms. "Let me decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

"It's a good thing," I said earnestly. "I'm sure Bella feels the same way. Want me to call her?"

"No!" he said forcefully as I reached for my cell phone.

Grinning, I pulled back. "What are you going to do again? Repeat it."

"I'm going to go up to her, apologize regardless of whether or not I need to, and start being happy."

"That's right!" I beamed. That's the spirit!

"Right!" He took the receipt, left the tip, took a firm grip on my arm, and began to steer me to the entrance. "And I'm driving."

"Why?"

"Because you're getting hyper now, and the cops might mistake that for being drunk."

I rolled my eyes, but handed off the keys anyway. "Promise me that you'll have another go at Bella."

"Why are you so desperate for me to be with your best friend?" he asked. "Not that I object."

I met him square in the eye. "You'll make her happy."

He was pleasantly surprised. But he said nothing as he courteously held the passenger door open for me and walked around to the other end.

* * *

**A/N: It's the next chapter, you guys really, truly want, I think. Here's a preview:**

"Will you marry me?"

**And don't be dense and say it's Edward proposing to Bella, lol. What he says to her is a less intense version of that last bit. Anyway, I'm positive it's the next chapter you guys want. **

**OoOoOoOo**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: On my profile. Or just look on Chapter five. **

**A/N: This is a pretty busy chapter, what with the ring, the question, and Bella and Edward. I just hope you guys like it :). Anyway, I'll cut this note short and let you guys read. Enjoy. _

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_ **

_Six: __Questions_

_Bella POV_

I was a poor liar, and everyone knew that, especially Rosalie. She could always count on me to spill about her customers…particularly the ones she wasn't fond of. I didn't like having to do that, but it was an involuntary reaction. Like twitching. Or sneezing. Or loving someone, but that was beside the point.

It was more along the lines of trying to keep the knowledge of the engagement ring a secret.

So when we returned back to the café after having lunch, Emmett barely allowed me to be around Rosalie for longer than five minutes before graciously and desperately ushering me out. My face would have given us away, he said. Apparently, the shock and wonder still hadn't erased themselves from my features. It was a lucky thing for him, then, that today wasn't my shift. We would have been doomed if it had been.

"How are you going to ask her?" I'd whispered before he shut the doors behind me.

"You'll see," he'd murmured with a trace of a smile. "If you'll promise to be there."

I thought over the day now as I drove back to the university, winding away from the busy promenade.

O) - O) - O)

_Edward POV_

As I effortlessly slid my sister's car into the student parking lot, I snuck a glance at her. Alice's bottom lip was curled into a small pout. I suppressed a chuckle. She'd been a good sport throughout the entire ride back, allowing me to drive her precious coupe, of which I didn't think I'd even be permitted to touch the wheel. However, it seemed as though she'd traded in her voice for her car. Alice had refused to say much of anything else after those last words. Words that burned still in my mind.

I didn't know what to say to them, to be honest. I wasn't even certain of how true they were because at the present, I seemed incapable of making Bella happy for longer than a minute.

I cut off the engine and lobbed the keys into Alice's ready palm, sitting back and staring absently out the car without really seeing what was outside. I couldn't allow myself to think. Bella brought only confusion and an emotion so strong I wasn't sure I could take it. Michelle, on the other hand…I winced as Alice's phone began to ring piercingly. I didn't even care to think about Michelle. I actually liked to believe she didn't exist. Out of sight, out of mind, as they say. I had only Alice to thank that I'd managed to avoid her today, since I was sure she'd be stalking me and interrogating my roommates for my whereabouts. Luckily I'd left the guys specific instructions to tell her nothing.

Alice had a peculiar expression on her face as she spoke into her phone. "_What_? The duck dropped?—oh, the _truck_—could you stop yelling for a minute and listen to yourself? Breathe. Okay. _Now_ tell me what's wrong."

_Who's yelling? _I mouthed to Alice, only to have her roll her eyes and look away, nodding attentively to her caller. Idly, I noted that rain clouds were moving in, darkening the previously blue sky.

Suddenly, Alice let out a disbelieving breath. "How did you manage to do _that_?" There was a pause. I jumped when she smacked her forehead with her hand and let out a groan. "Lovely. Where are you now? Okay…uh-huh…I'll come get you, alright? Tell me the street…thanks. Just sit tight, okay, Bella? Bye." She snapped the phone shut, looked at me, and hooked a thumb over her shoulder. "Okay, ride's over. Out you get, Edward."

"What happened to Bella?" I asked, frowning.

She rubbed her fingers on her temples. "She's got a flat tire, and it just so happens that she doesn't have a spare. So I need to pick her up."

Nodding, I made a quick decision and buckled my seatbelt again. "I'm coming and I'm driving."

"No, you're _not_. This is a two-seater vehicle—where do you expect Bella to sit, in my lap?" She crossed her arms and made a face.

I returned the look mildly. "If it's going to be that way, we can switch places."

"Edward!" she gasped, even as I grinned. "Are you insane?"

Over Bella, maybe. But otherwise, I was fine. "So are we going or not?"

Alice's mouth opened to respond, and then closed again as she became still, eyeing her keys thoughtfully. Then, her gaze flashed to mine, sparkling. "You can go instead," she exclaimed as though it was the greatest idea to ever hit mankind. "And you can talk and straighten out things with each other without being bothered. Bella's brilliant!"

"Accident prone is more like it," I muttered under my breath, even as I began to anticipate driving off. Alice was right, on this count.

She was already sticking the key into the ignition and propping open her door. "Edward, don't screw this up. And if Bella screws it up, I'm blaming _you_. So behave yourself and—"

"I know what I'm doing, Alice," I told her, hiding a smile. "Now please, could you very kindly…leave?"

With a last, sheepish smile, she gave me the street, backing out of her car and shutting the door. She waved as I pulled out of the parking lot. It startled me a second later when I realized how impatient I was to see Bella.

She'd been avoiding me just as thoroughly as I'd been avoiding Michelle.

_That's one thing in common_.

O) - O) - O)

_BPOV_

"Fabulous," I moaned, banging my head and fist against the window of my truck, flinching, and just leaning against it forlornly while standing outside.

This was just typical, me, standing on the curbside of a tree-lined parkway with no less than one flat tire. Yep, just another day in the glamorous life of Bella Swan. So how many tires did I flatten again? I mentally calculated the amount and came up to four, with this being the fourth. The mechanics loved me, but because of their so very obvious love, I'd switched mechanics to Rosalie, who was far more efficient in her work anyway. Yet even with the "free of charge" deal we had, the catch was filling in for her whenever she had to leave work, with whatever the reason. Now I owed her four times.

Sighing, I sank down to lean against the side of my truck, waiting for Alice. I never called her for help unless absolutely needed because I almost always owed her a shopping trip afterwards. Besides, I didn't like having her excuse herself from her engagements. It was tacky, not to mention rude of her, to back out on someone just because I, being me, caused one of my accidents.

I shifted my position, placing my cheek against the cool glass of the window and facing the direction in which Alice would appear.

Then, a wet drop landed on my head.

I grew cold with dread. Oh, please no; don't rain, not now…

It was no use. Having lived in Forks, Washington, I knew the signs of a downpour, and the sky was definitely filling in the criteria for it.

I gritted my teeth as more drops followed, soon pattering the ground with light dots. Steadily, the rain grew stronger and heavier. Sighing, I made to open my truck, only to find it locked. I rummaged around my pockets, heart racing, for my keys…and felt my blood turn to ice as I spotted a glint of metal on the dashboard.

"Oh, crap, no," I whispered to myself, shutting my eyes against the horror of it all.

First, I puncture a tire. Next, I owe my friend a trip to the shops. Last, I leave my keys in my own car and lock myself out in the rain.

There had to be something wrong with me, not just my luck.

I leave keys in locked places. I break my own heart. I run from guys.

From Edward.

I was a walking disaster. When someone handed me a glass, I dropped it, letting the contents run and seep into the carpet. And no matter how many "sorry"s I could say, in whatever language, there seemed to be nothing I could do to fix it because it was irreversible. Because it was priceless. Because there was no way on earth that I could even ask Edward when he already had someone who loved him probably more than I did.

And for some reason, tearing a tire and leaving my keys led to all this.

Breathing heavily, I lifted my face up, glaring into the rain as it pelted my face and drenched me down to my shoes.

"Is there someone against me?" I yelled out against the pattering of the rain, the sky. "Do I have bad karma? Or is it because the world hates me for being such a coward?"

No answer. Rain continued to smack my face.

"Well?!"

A car honked from behind me.

I tipped my dripping head back level and watched numbly as Alice's canary-yellow coupe cruised easily to the opposite curb, several yards away. The window scrolled down, revealing—my heart skipped a beat—Edward, his expression a mix of shock and exasperation.

"What do you want now?" I asked.

"Get out of the rain!"

"Why do _you_ care?"

"For heaven's sake, you're practically drowning!"

I shook out my soaked and messy hair. "So? It's not like you should care whether I drown or not. Not like you even have a reason why. What are you doing here? Why can't you just leave me be?" I hissed fiercely, feeling the hot, wetness of my stupid, stupid tears slip down my face.

Fortunately, Edward didn't notice from where he stood. "Bella, this isn't the time to be melodramatic!" He got out from the car and began to walk towards me, instantly getting soaked by the rain.

"I am justified!" I shouted at him, venting, crying shamelessly. It was obvious now but I didn't care, as I shivered in relief, in a struggle not to take even one step back as he came forward. "I have to deal with my disabled car, with my locked up keys, with Alice, with Rosalie, with Emmett and a question that I promised to witness, and I don't think I can deal with _you_ right now!"

He stopped in front of me, stared. "Bella, you're crazy."

I gave him a frigid look, standing straight, jaw tight. "Well, there really isn't much of anything you can do about that is there?"

It was simple, so very simple, and my heart beat faster for the coming of it. We stood close enough together for either of us just to take one step forward and close what was left of the distance. So simple.

"Actually, there is."

It was raining. I was drenched.

And he kissed me.

For one blisteringly sweet moment, I was able to float without a worry in the world.

O) - O) - O)

_EPOV_

_Well, I broke the promise on behaving myself_, I thought ruefully as I pulled back and watched anxiously as Bella's eyes fluttered open wide. A lost look came into her face. Regret flooded through me and I dropped my hands away from her.

"I shouldn't have done that," I said hastily, clearing my throat.

"You shouldn't have?" she echoed faintly. I was gratified to hear a sad note in her voice, but even then I must have imagined it.

"No. It was…unacceptable." I shook my head and continued heatedly, "Bella, why didn't you step away? Then we could have avoided this!" That lost look would forever haunt me in my dreams now. I shouldn't have done it. I knew I shouldn't have.

My insides wrenched as she blinked up at me with a strange expression. "You don't want to kiss me?"

I was speechless, and my throat had gone dry.

She continued. "I mean, I know why you wouldn't want to, because of Michelle and because of what I did…"

"Michelle?" I repeated hoarsely. I swallowed and began again, my mind racing on a par with my heart as I tried to make sense of what she was saying. "What does Michelle have to do with anything?"

"She has to do with everything!"

"She does?"

"You mean she _doesn't_ have to do with anything?"

"No!" I said, bewildered, as her face became wondering, even happy.

Then, she was serious again. "But she _is_ your girlfriend, right?"

I stared at her incredulously. "NO!"

Where was this information coming from, anyway? If Michelle herself told Bella that she was my….Fury made my jaw set, blinding me for a second, so that I didn't see how Bella's eyes suddenly cleared.

"Oh," she said, surprised.

Steeling myself, I continued in the same vein that she seemed to be taking. "There is absolutely NOTHING, nothing at all, between me and that girl you seem bent on proving to be affiliated with me. I don't love her, I don't care about her, and frankly, if she disappeared from the face of the earth, I wouldn't have given a damn. Is that enough for you, Bella?"

I wondered how I must have looked like to her at this moment. Anger, irritation, hope, and desperation threatened to drive me mad, while she was oddly calm, even exuberant in the rain. If she didn't think what I said was enough, I was prepared to beg on my knees, anything to convince her that she was who I wanted more than anything.

"I'm sorry, Edward."

I wasn't sure if I heard right. "For what?"

She took a breath and ran a hand along the side of her truck. Vaguely, I realized that the rain had thinned into a drizzle. "For causing this entire thing—mess—whatever this is. I don't know if it even matters anymore, but Emmett pretty much told me to do this, so I should. But not because he told me to," she added quickly, her cheeks pinking into a blush.

I had to smile, as wearying as it was. Her mouth opened, shut, restarted again. "I didn't think this would be taking place, well, here," she swept a hand around, "but you're here, and I'm here, and my truck's down, so I want you to know that I'm…sorry for running off yesterday when Michelle came. It was just that Jessica told me that your nonexistent girlfriend was there, and I'd thought you were one of those jerks that I had the stupidity to date—"

"No, Bella, _they're_ the idiots, not you," I corrected gravely. Her blush deepened, and again I couldn't stop myself from smiling. "I'm sorry, go on."

She inhaled. "I'm sorry for judging you so quickly and never giving you a chance—_me_ a chance—it's just that I was running on past experience, you know? It's not something I ever had to think about before. And I trust Alice. She'd…informed me after the party that you were…"

"A jerk?"

"Um…yes."

I nodded. "Yes, she told me the same thing at lunch," I said blandly. "I set her straight, though, that I'm reformed."

She stared. "A reformed jerk?"

"For you, I'll be a reformed anything." Noticing that she was shivering from cold, I took a hold of her shoulder and began to guide her towards the coupe. To my surprise, she didn't object.

"Edward?" Her voice was cautious. There was a beat of silence before I replied back.

"Yes, Bella?"

She hesitated as I opened the door for her. "Um, you _do_ have your own car, right?"

I laughed in amazement. "Of course I do."

"Oh, good. Because I don't know what my dad would think if I towed a guy who drove his sister's yellow car."

I took in a sharp intake of breath when I realized what she was saying, and how I nothing mattered after this moment. "Bella…"I began softly.

She smiled tentatively. "Yes, Edward?"

I reached out to place my hand against her cheek. I felt a sense of release, of a renewed sense of life when she leaned against it and returned a look of such trust that I doubted whether I deserved it. Everything felt so easy. So right.

If I did anything to mess this up, I'd let Alice flay me alive and more.

"Thank you." I couldn't say anymore than that.

"Let's go," she said, slowly backing off and slipping into the car with a final look.

When I followed in after her to the driver's end, I found her listening intently to her phone. She snapped it shut and buckled her seatbelt with a sense of urgency.

"What's wrong?"

"We have to get back to campus within ten minutes," she said hurriedly. "Can you do that?"

"May I know the reason as to why I have to speed?" I asked even as I buckled up and started the engine.

"I'll explain while you drive."

And with that, we were headed off.

O) - O) - O)

_BPOV_

We'd arrived at campus in record time with minutes to spare and hit the ground running once the coupe's engine was cut. I swear, Emmett had one of the most ill-timed proposals in history. Alice had whispered frantically into the phone that they were in the inner courtyard of the department of sciences, the part with the largest fountain, surrounded by peers and teachers alike to bear witness.

Edward steered me around the corner of the hallway before I could run into a wall. It surprised me how effortless it was to be with him, as easy as breathing. Even his touch felt as natural as if it were meant to be there.

"There!" We ran out into the courtyard and found a loose ring of bystanders around the green, watching with anticipation, interest, and, for some, near-tears. Emmett and Rosalie were opposite one another beside the elegant fountain, Emmett holding one of her hands in both of his own. Even from where I stood, we caught each others' eye, and he smiled.

He withdrew the ring from his pocket, bearing it for Rosalie.

We couldn't hear what was being said, but I did know that this moment was for them, exclusively so. All of us were just voiceless, faceless witnesses to an event most of us hope to have. It was just the way it was supposed to be.

Hand over her mouth, Rosalie nodded to applause as Emmett slipped on the ring with a flourish and ended it with an embrace and a kiss.

Edward squeezed my hand beside me and I returned it with a smile.

Alice came running out of nowhere followed by Jasper. She was practically jumping up and down with excitement.

"Guess what? I'm their wedding planner!" she squealed, grabbing my hands away from her brother's. "Isn't this exciting? Now we need to go shopping for bridesmaid dresses, not to mention Rose's wedding dress!"

"That's great, Alice." And it was great. This was just the thing that fitted Alice's forte, and what with the added closeness, she certainly wouldn't stray too far from Rosalie's wishes. I smiled at her remorsefully; it was a good thing Alice was hardy enough to deal with a tenacious bride such as Rosalie.

"Isn't it?" she sighed, and then noticed Edward as if for the first time. "So, are you together?"

"Alice!" I groaned. Was it asking too much for her to be more...tactful?

"Yes," Edward responded, taking my hand away from his sister.

"Good." She nodded in satisfaction while we watched people either disperse or go forward to congratulate Emmett and Rosalie. "Everything feels so _right,_ doesn't it?"

She had no idea.

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**A/N: Aw. In Chapter seven, it'll be exclusively Bella and Edward fluff. So just watch out for it next week, if I can get it out by then. Like I said, busy schedule (sigh). **

**xoxo - Mari **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Somewhere on my page.**

**A/N: ****I am so, SO very sorry to have taken so long in putting this out! Will you guys ever forgive me? And put that forgiveness in the form of a rain check because there's going to be another bit of a wait for the next chapter? You guys know I love you. I expressed that on my profile, I think. Anywho, without further ado...read! **

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_**Seven: **Diving_

It was Saturday—d-day, mostly because of the choices I usually had at hand with my friends. Doomsday, if with Alice; "Decaf-day", if with Rosalie. And "Darts-day", if with Emmett, since he liked going to the local bar to hang out with his buddies...along with the possibility of setting me up with someone. Darts, for the game, and to represent "Cupid's arrow", should it ever happen in the bar. I doubted it (I was right), even if he did find Rose in one. 

I sighed as I glanced at myself in the mirror. I thought I looked decent. But Alice fussily picked at me, muttering under her breath. She straightened my shirt, criticized it, changed her mind, criticized it again, tragically moaned, and then bustled through all the _other_ outfits until I thought I'd go mad. 

"Alice!"

She stopped babbling and smiled sheepishly, looking like a child caught out in misbehaving. Her eyes watered as she clutched the skirt in her hands. "Oh, Bella. I'm just so proud of you—your first date in college!"

I cringed. "Alice, please."

"Right, I'll cut the drama." She approached again, scrutinizing me, getting ready to spill over again. I began to cut her off when she beamed at me so hugely I couldn't continue. "Aren't you excited about your date? I must say, Edward is really quite ingenious, pulling all those strings from an iron-fisted—"

Three loud knocks rapped on the door. 

We glanced at each other, equally excited, before I was ushered to it.

"Bella, one thing," Alice whispered as she reached for the doorknob.

"What?" I asked, fully expecting her to say something on dating or "good luck".

A small frown line appeared between her brows. "You're as pale as Casper!"

An indignant retort poised itself on my tongue before it was knocked back by Alice gleefully throwing open the door. The retort faded away into nothingness.

Edward smiled warmly from the other side, resplendent even in his simple attire of a gray sweater and shirt, jeans finishing out the look. In his hands was yet another bouquet of flowers, daisies this time. I smiled back, pained. This was the tenth bouquet in two days straight! 

"More?" I glanced bleakly into our dorm-turned-florist.

He smirked. "Not this time. Jasper told me to deliver these to—"

"Gerbera daisies!" Alice rushed forward and grabbed the flowers, twirling back into our room and burying her face in them. "Love it. Thanks, Edward! Give a kiss to Jasper, would you?" I grabbed my purse and headed out, hastily starting to close the door.

Edward's mouth twisted as he suppressed a grin, calling, "What about I pass the thanks but not the kiss?"

All we heard was Alice's laughter before the door clicked shut and we were left in the empty hallway. There was an awkward beat of silence while I fixedly stared at the carpeting like it was the most interesting thing in the world. 

"Um, Bella?"

"Yes?" I looked up expectantly, uncertainly, wondering foolishly what was supposed to happen next. Edward stared back, something flickering behind his eyes—amusement? Irritation? I couldn't tell. He smiled slowly, almost chagrined. I watched the movement, wishing that I could just for a second shake off my inhibitions and reach out…

"When was your last date?" 

I raised an eyebrow, nonplussed, and then threw him a reproachful glance. "So it's that obvious," I stated, and paused. "It's been a while, if you want to know."

He nodded as though none of it came as a surprise, and I hopped to defend myself against his male ego. Hey, I wasn't new to this, and _he_ had to get that straight. "But that doesn't mean that I'm not up for—"

"Breaking and entering?" A mischievous light sparked in his face, and for the first time, I actually began to wonder what his plans were. I warily registered his words. He and Alice really were perfect as the brother-sister duo. If I hadn't known any better, I would have thought they'd grown up together from birth. 

I tilted my head away slowly, narrowing my eyes at him and crossing my arms. "Edward Masen," I began, articulating every word. "What do you mean by 'breaking and entering'?"

He leaned towards me with mock caution. "Remember that day when you planned to ditch class for the library?"

"Yes…?" I looked back into the deep green of his eyes, which were suddenly, disconcertingly close. He was close enough for me to turn my head and make contact, but he pulled back, grinning nonchalantly. 

"Well, I thought it a terrible shame that you weren't able to get your wish." Winking conspiratorially, he turned and began to briskly walk down the hallway while I stood, shocked and frozen in front of my dorm. _Oh, my god. He did not just—yes, he did. He's planning to, to…_

Really, this was not what I expected. No, it wasn't. And I was sure it wasn't what I wanted either.

Breaking and entering! Was he crazy? 

Hissing under my breath, I turned on my heel and hurried after him, mentally cursing Alice's slingbacks when they caused me to trip over my feet on the stairs. I clumsily steadied myself on the banister, took a breath, slipped off the shoes, and raced after Edward—only to collide conveniently into him at the rear exit. 

"You—!"

"Nice of you to finally make it." Even in the dim lighting, I could see the corners of his mouth twitch upon seeing the shoes dangling from my hand. "And would it kill you to be quiet? It _is_ the middle of the night."

"Breaking and entering? _Breaking and entering?_"

He sighed heavily and steered me outside into the mild, night air. "Please, Bella. Be good."

Oh, the irony. 

"Are you sure you and Alice aren't blood related?" I mumbled, putting on the slingbacks while he waited. 

Upon finishing, he held onto my arm and began to stride quickly towards the English department's main buildings next door. I practically had to jog after him, glancing up into the velvety darkness of the sky. Several stars boldly winked out, despite what the lampposts did to drown them out. It seemed too beautiful a night to spend cooped up in a library—much less _break_ into one for a _date_. 

I was slightly out of breath by the time we hastily scrambled up the stairs from the first floor.We then turned the corners it took to reach the reassuringly locked double doors of the library. 

"This is ridiculous," I declared, glaring at him when he began to search the pockets of his jeans. "No—don't tell me. You pick locks, too, don't you, Eddie?"

He shot me an annoyed look. "_No,_ I don't pick locks. And don't call me Eddie. If this relationship is going to work, I think you should call me by my real name, okay, _Isabella?_"

I stuck my tongue out at him and turned away to hide my smile, attempting to sober up. "So that's how it's going to be, is it Edward? You're going to – to break up what we have just because I c – call you Eddie?" 

I heard him stop fiddling with the doorknob behind me, and it was all I could do to stop snickering. I stifled a squeak and held back when he tentatively reached out to touch my arm. "Bella? You're not serious…?" 

Clamping my right hand over my face, I turned and buried my face into his shoulder, shaking with suppressed laughter. It must have sounded like I was sobbing because his voice became instantly concerned. "I'm sorry if I implied that," he said, and then added earnestly, with a cringe, "You can call me Eddie, I won't mind…much. Bella?"

I couldn't stand it any longer. I pushed away from him and rubbed at my watering eyes.

"Edward!" I gasped out, choking back near-hysterical laughter. "I was _kidding_!"

He stared at me for a long moment and then chuckled. 

"What?" He shook his head, refusing to reply.

I edged closer to where he used a credit card and a key to tease the door into opening. He straightened up smugly at hearing the triumphant click from the lock—it was obvious that he hadn't done this only once. He took my elbow and shone a miniature pen light around. A cold prickle ran down my spine when he closed the door lightly behind us, sealing the deed and causing a thrill of excitement to warm me up again. 

"Come on, Bella. We aren't staying for the books." He laughed under his breath and pressed softly on my arm to guide me in the right direction. My heart jumped at the contact, and I was grateful for the near-darkness that hid my burning face. 

We carefully navigated ourselves through the library, but despite all Edward could do to help, I bumped into bookshelves, carrels, and tables anyway. I winced when I stubbed my toe on the foot of a chair, but waved off Edward when he stopped to help. Like me stubbing my toe was his main worry—what if we got _caught_? Weren't there monitors around here? I took a look at his confident profile, and a wry smile passed over my lips. Of course he knew. From what I could tell, he could have convinced them that the noises they heard at this end of the corridor was all in their heads. I certainly would have been convinced.

"But not everybody is _you_, Bella," I could almost hear Rosalie sighing, rolling her eyes.

I looked mournfully down at my unfortunate toe, which had dulled to a low throbbing. Everybody had to be glad they weren't me. 

"Where is it?" Edward was muttering to himself now, searching behind the rear "Help" desk and flourishing a key ring. He grinned at me and pulled me towards a door marked "Roof – Staff Only". My stomach flipped and I blanched, edging away from him.

A roof, an open roof, meant heights. I was never very good with heights. 

"Edward?" He turned to me patiently and I reached up to nervously twirl a lock of hair. "Since we're going to be getting to know each other tonight, I think it necessary for you to know that I'm terrified of roller coasters."

He looked surprised for a moment and glanced at the door's plaque as if seeing it for the first time. He turned back to me, understanding in his eyes. "I see."

I looked down miserably at the floor. "I've ruined the night, haven't I?"

"No. No, you haven't. It's my fault for not being the gentleman." I lifted my head just in time to see him flash a smile as he looked at me sideways, offering his arm. "If you'll do me the honor, Miss Swan?"

For a brief moment, I was a six year-old girl again, still believing in castles and fairytales and a prince that would spirit me away to where we would live happily ever after together. I could still remember my mother and me sitting contentedly on an old couch watching _The Princess Bride_; her, reminiscing, me dreamily settling into the storyline. And then here was Edward, proffering his arm in a way that vividly put me in the mind of Mr. Darcy or some other man of the sort. A person who could change everything, or at least a little part of that everything. Someone not entirely hopeless. 

I couldn't speak. So I nodded and took it. He watched me carefully for a moment as if waiting for me to burst into an emotional wreckage before steering me towards the stairs behind the door. 

"I'll be good, Bella," he said quietly when we finally reached the exit of the building. "I won't ask anything from you except this night and," he smiled slightly, "to please, _please_ enjoy yourself. Or is that too much?"

I shook my head, laughing a little. "Hey, we've broken into a university library in the dead of night. What could I do that's more than that?"

Our eyes met and again I was grateful for the darkness. I was suddenly acutely aware of how comfortably I'd settled into being with him, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, as easy as breathing. Not the breaking and entering of course, but the 'being with him' part. Just being with him. Did he feel the same? Was this how things were supposed to be? This was too easy. I had to be dreaming.

Chuckling, he reached forward to open the door and I felt a moment of anticipation. He glanced back at me and I cautiously came forward, looking around the door…and catching my breath at the sight. 

He held my hand gently now, and I lost all feeling of the air on my cheeks.

"Bella, don't look at that—look at the sky. That's the reason why I chose the spot, after all." 

But I couldn't look at the sky, not just right now. I couldn't look at him either; I didn't know if I could take in his expression and see what I was too afraid to imagine. So I gazed out at the enclosed rooftop and what was there: pale, white lights were strung around the walled area and the overhang, winking and glinting like stars from the sky itself. A blanket spread out before them with (I suppressed a choked laugh) a bouquet of white and blue irises at the corner, spilling out from the delicate tissue paper. Their hearts were flecked with a yellow echoing that of Alice's daisies. Beside the flowers was a basket of what I guessed to be food. 

Unconsciously, I drifted over to the edge of the roof, gazing out and over the campus and then, finally, at the sky. I was still speechless. How did he manage to do all of this? Alice's bubbly words replayed in my head from the conversation earlier. I turned back to give Edward a tremulous smile, leaning against the side railing. 

"How many strings did you pull?" I managed to ask.

A glimmer of a smile was on his face as he came to stand beside me, running a hand through his hair in a sheepish gesture. "Quite a lot. After many minutes of negotiating with the main librarian here, I persuaded her to let me—_us_—use the roof after hours on this day…"

That I could imagine clearly. "But how did you get her to fold?"

He shrugged. "Observation. I saw her reading piles of romance novels from a bag under the desk and thought that she'd give in to a young couple tired of doing the dinner-and-a-movie act." I gaped at him while he frowned away in thought. "Originally, the plan was to leave me the spare for the door, but I guess she just forgot. Anyway, breaking in was pretty fun, wasn't it?"

"Um…" I started vaguely, but let the sentence die when he began to laugh. I renewed myself and looked around at my surroundings. "I wouldn't have minded the dinner-and-a-movie thing."

He stared at me perplexedly. "And that's what's so bothersome about you—"

"You're not going to get anywhere with me by saying I'm bothersome," I pointed out, whereas he snorted and continued as if he didn't believe me. It'd be a good thing if he didn't, since I was most likely wrong anyway. 

"You're not like anyone I've ever known. Not even like Alice, and _she's_ strange enough as is," he continued, his voice unconsciously lowering into a soft, musical tone in my ears. "Any other girl would have exploded into a fit of emotional happiness at having a guy do this for them—"

"Conceited much?" I muttered, and he playfully nudged me in return. 

"Let me finish, won't you?" When I stayed silent, he went on. "Like I said, a fit of emotional happiness in exaggeration. But you on the other hand…you act like you don't even deserve this, even though it's clear that you do—you really do. And," he stopped my intention to interrupt with a smile, "I'm willing enough to annoy you if only to make sure you get the point."

"What's that supposed to mean?" 

He gave a short chuckle and reached out to draw a finger across my jaw, stopping at my chin and lightly drawing it upwards. My cheeks were warm now and I was afraid that all my blushing would cause me to melt, or worse, spontaneously combust. "Bella, don't you get it?"

My head was clouded over, beyond the abilities of comprehension. I blinked at him and forced myself to breathe out, "I think…that you should let me go first?"

He grinned and stepped back courteously. "Did that help?"

I stared back and sighed, idiotically frustrated at the distance. "No, not really." I peered up at him ruefully. "You'd be better off just telling me instead of making me guess."

"Really. Why?"

I cast my eyes back downward and fidgeted with the hem of my blouse. Struggling to get the words straight in my mind, I passively wondered why I felt that I could tell him the reason, even though I hardly knew the answer myself. Or, perhaps I did know the reason, deep down. Wasn't I the one who said earlier that there wasn't much else I couldn't do, after… _this_? It was all a matter of diving for it, and holding on. I hoped that it was as easy as it sounded. 

"Edward," I began tentatively, and stopped, going over the words in my mind. I shook my head in irritation; no, those weren't the right words. I began again. "It's been a while since things started to look up," I said haltingly, finding words and replacing them. "And for me, it's like the universe just flipped itself and capsized the boat. And that makes things a little hard to grasp right now at the moment—you know how it is right? When you're stuck underwater and want to surface but can't, because…" My already uncertain voice faded away upon realizing that our gazes had met for the entire minute that it took me to talk. 

"Because?" he prompted.

"Because you're not sure that what you're going to find on the surface is what….I'm sorry," I mumbled. I tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. I wished I didn't have the reflex of holding back. "My thoughts escape me."

We stood together in silence by the railing, watching as the night gradually deepened around us. The stars that still bravely remained twinkled out at us amid the airplanes that crossed the sky. In spite of all of that, I was only too aware of Edward's closeness and how our arms touched against the railing. Too aware of how my blush had returned. I cast about in my head for something to break the quiet, only to be beaten by Edward.

"Bella, we're allowed to stay silent. We have plenty of time to talk, and I don't think that the...words you're attempting to convey are meant to be said yet." My stomach unknotted itself in my relief as I turned back to him. I really didn't think I deserved him now—he was too _good_. Without another word, he took my right hand in his and led me back under the overhang, much to my confusion. He offered me a half-smile. "In case you didn't remember, Bella, this is still a date. And talking and eating isn't all there is to it."

"No?" 

He raised our hands and deftly shifted mine into a position I recognized from Renee's wedding. My insides plummeted and I paled with horror. He went on cheerfully, "We also dance."

"I – I _can't_ dance. Are you crazy? Do you have a death wish?" I hissed at him. He hummed under his breath and ignored me, correcting our positions so that my left hand was at his shoulder and his hand was gently resting on my waist. "I'm practically disabled on the dance floor!"

"Bella." 

I made the fatal mistake of meeting his gaze directly so that I found it difficult to refuse. The wistful hope and something else lit up the green irresistibly, and I sullenly wondered if there was any possibility to turn him down. _It _is_ just one dance, _my inner voice reasoned. _And do you really think there's any danger he'll let you fall over? _I bit my bottom lip and sighed. Now _that_ was a rhetorical question. 

"There isn't any music," I protested feebly. 

He shook his head, chuckling. "Music in dancing is for the unimaginative. And as an aspiring doctor," we started to waltz, "there's a lot to listen to through silence."

"Such as?"

"Your breathing, the beating of your heart…"

I rolled my eyes, fighting a smile. "How Edgar Allen Poe."

"Insanity is another form of genius," he murmured, his breath warm against my skin. "And does this feel insane to you?"

I contemplated telling him that it ought to be, considering that we were slow dancing on the rooftop of a university building. But there was a difference. If I closed my eyes and just absorbed the moment, I realized that there wasn't any need for music because it was all here already. And if love songs were written through the quiet of one day, one moment, then we had all that we wanted. 

Being with him was enough. If that was insane, then so be it. I truly wanted to be able to give it a shot. 

I breathed out a contented sigh, much to my surprise, and then said, "No." A shiver of warmth went down my spine when I felt his lips against my cheek in the very ghost of a kiss. 

O) - O) - O)

Later on when I returned to the dorm room, flushed from being outside and faraway as I recounted the night, I found Alice sitting on her bed, wide awake. Composedly, I took off the shoes and the necklace around my neck, wandering to her bed and counting to ten.

"So…?" she asked excitedly just as I reached nine. 

I forced her to fidget in silence as I slowly sat on my bed and drew my knees up to my chin. I pretended to think. She sighed. 

"Bella!"

I grinned at her. "It was interesting."

She squinted at me and stared. "That's it? Did he kiss you goodbye?"

"Of course he did."

"Anything else…?"

My mind processed what her tone suggested, and I blushed hotly, burying my face in my hands. Ugh! "NO!"

"Huh." I could feel her eyes scrutinizing me for a full two minutes. When my blush began to fade away, I looked up and she gave a short nod as though confirming something. My natural instincts around Alice kicked in and I started to panic. 

"What?" 

She gave me an odd smile and said slowly, backed by a veil of renewed excitement, "You're falling for him, aren't you?"

I gave her a long, even stare. Then I returned the smile, and leaned over to turn out the light in answer. She gasped, and I heard her fall back against her pillows, giggling. Shaking my head in amusement, I picked up a change of clothes and went to the bathroom. 

* * *

**A/N: I just thought to inform you that I'm kind of nervous in the way of reactions, lol. But I really love to hear what you all have to say, and was surprised and totally floored by what the previous chapter got. I never thought I'd get so many for one chapter, to be honest :). So...just a final thanks, so you all know I appreciate you guys. **

**-- Mari **


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